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It's not that hard to convert Microsoft Office files into G Suite docs, sheets or slides, so you and your teammates or clients can collaborate via Google Drive. But thing is, it's just so much easier if you don't have to. Now, Google has rolled out a feature that gives you the power to comment directly on Microsoft Office files, PDFs and images uploaded on Drive. You simply have to highlight the part you want to comment on in Preview mode (like what you'd do on a G Suite file), click the Comment icon that pops up and type what you want to say.

Microsoft's latest update for Office 2016 on Mac adds features that make it a much better tool for collaborative projects. (Or worse, depending on how you prefer attacking group work.) It gives you the ability to work with others in real time à la Google suite -- the apps will even show your who's currently editing via thumbnails in the upper right corner of the window.

Microsoft has been adding cloud-based artificial intelligence to its popular Office suite for years now. In addition to new AI-focused upgrades to Cortana and Bing, the company also announced several new tools for Word, Excel and Outlook to help you make the most of your data, organizational content and more.

The next version of Microsoft Office is coming to a computer near you soon. The company announced today that Office 2019 will be released sometime in the second half next year. Previews will ship in mid-2018. It will include the applications we're used to, such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as servers such as Skype for Business and Exchange.

Sometimes, it's not your productivity apps that need a tune-up... it's how you get to those apps that needs work. And Microsoft knows it. The tech firm has redesigned the Office.com front end and Office 365's web app launcher. There's now a recommended section that surfaces the activity that's relevant to you, so you can quickly jump to where you're needed -- say, a Word file that needs edits or your recent PowerPoint presentation. You can also search for people, apps, documents and sites right from the get-go.

If you're one of those Apple users who likes (or needs) to run Mac OS and Windows side by side, you'll probably be into Parallels Desktop 13. Especially if you have one of those MacBook Pros with a TouchBar. The latest version of the software makes certain apps on Microsoft's platform fully compatible with Apple's digital OLED strip, including all the major web browsers and the entire Office Suite. For instance, if you're running PowerPoint for Windows through Parallels, you can use the TouchBar to do things like bold or italicize the text on your slides. You can also customize functions based on which app you're using, just as you would on the Mac OS interface.

Owners of the Macbook Pro with Touch Bar will be pleased to hear that Microsoft Office now works with the LCD strip Apple introduced with its latest laptop. Support for Touch Bar was announced alongside the new MacBook Pro at an Apple event last October, but Office support is now available to all users. The Touch Bar has special layouts ready for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, with Outlook and Skype additions coming soon. It's the latest high-profile app to get Touch Bar support and joins other massive apps like Adobe's Photoshop and Apple's own Final Cut Pro.

Microsoft isn't just trying out artificial intelligence through bots and voice assistants -- it's going all-in. The crew in Redmond has revealed that Office 365 is wielding cloud-based AI to automate many tasks. Tap for Word and Outlook surface relevant content from your company to help finish a project, for instance. PowerPoint and Sway will have a QuickStarter feature that gives you curated outlines for given topics, saving you the trouble of creating the foundation of a presentation from scratch. Excel, meanwhile, will have a way to turn raw geographic data into Bing-based maps.

If you want to sketch or perhaps add your signature to a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document on iOS, the only option has been to use the iPad Pro's Pencil. Now, with the latest version of Office for the iPhone, you can draw directly on a document with no need for the stylus. Once you launch the app, you can "use your finger to write, draw and highlight with the tools in the new Draw tab," Microsoft says.

Who said that spreadsheet apps had to be dry and boring? Certainly not Reddit user Crruzi. As a test of Visual Basic skills, the budding programmer wrote and released an XCOM game, EXLCOM, for Microsoft Excel. That's right -- the same software you use to create charts and graphs will also let you fight invading aliens. It's not what you'd call visually rich (just about everything on the map is represented by crude squares), but it's a surprisingly thorough recreation of the game's tactical battles, complete with unique character stats and terrain you can blow up. There's even a basic level editor.

You can already have Skype text chats while you're collaborating on Office Online docs or checking mail at Outlook.com. But wouldn't you rather talk to your colleagues and keep your hands free for, you know, work? You're about to get just that: Microsoft says it will bring Skype's video and voice chats to everyone using Office Online and Outlook.com, starting in November. On top of this, it's trotting out a Chrome extension that lets you quickly work with Office and Sway content in the browser, whether it's stored on your PC or in the cloud. All told, you don't have to worry quite so much about leaving Office's native apps behind.

Outlook is now a more powerful tool if you get a lot of work done on your phone... or just need a quick ride to the airport. To begin with, the iOS versions of Excel, PowerPoint and Word have received tight integration with Outlook. You can send a document you're working on as an Outlook email attachment, or edit someone else's attachment and return directly to Outlook with a new message ready and waiting. Also, some big, promised third-party Outlook web add-ons have gone live. You can set Uber ride notifications in your calendar, or put Evernote clippings into email. Boomerang will schedule both meetings and messages, while PayPal lets you pay a friend for last night's meal. Tie-ins with IFTTT, Wunderlist and Yelp are still "coming soon," but there's already plenty here to keep you busy.

Sure, you can technically use OneDrive and other cloud services to share your Office files, but wouldn't it be nice if there were a dedicated site for that? Apparently, Microsoft agrees -- it quietly launched the public beta for Docs, a dedicated website (this was previously a Facebook-only service) that simplifies sharing your Office files, PDFs and Sway presentations. Think of it as a parallel to offerings like SlideShare or Scribd, where the focus is more on preserving the formatting of your work than anything else. You can comment on and download documents, but you'll have to turn to other tools to collaborate on that upcoming report. You only need a Microsoft account to give Docs a spin, so it won't hurt to sign up.

Office 2016 may still be getting the finish touches in Redmond, but Microsoft is opening up its productivity suite for public preview. If you'll recall, some apps were included in previous releases of the Windows 10 Technical Preview and made available for both IT folks and devs. As of today, though, regular folks can get an early look and offer feedback on all the new stuff -- including those redesigned universal apps. This means that you'll gain access to OneDrive attachments in Outlook, real-time co-authoring and retooled applications that learn how you work to lend a hand. Specifically in Excel, there are updated charts and graphs alongside one-click forecasting and more data analyzing tools. Looking to take it for a spin before the official release this fall? Even if you're not an Office 365 subscriber, you can nab a trial version right here.

Because we do spreadsheets on the move. Because we simply need numpad. Because we didn't buy a Surface. Microsoft has launched a new keyboard on Android, expressly made for Excel, with the main keyboard being truncated to make space for an unassumingly simple number pad, although there's no pluses or minuses. Alas, it's built for tablets, meaning it's incompatible with 'mere' 5-inch Android smartphones -- even if those devices, too, are aching to do expenses in transit.

Until you, if you'd wanted to use Microsoft Office on iOS, you'd have been stuck using Dropbox, OneDrive or SharePoint to store your files online. For some reason, Apple's home-grown storage service was a notable absentee, but thankfully one that has been now remedied. In the most recent update, Microsoft has enabled users to save their documents, spreadsheets and presentations to iCloud, so long as they're running iOS 8. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as with the other platforms, since you have to dig into the "More" section before you can select the option. Still, better than nothing, eh?

Remember those universal Office apps Microsoft spent some time demoing a couple weeks back? Well, as of today, a trio of them are available as part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview. The three workhorses -- Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- can be accessed on desktops, laptops and tablets running the preview version of Redmond's upcoming operating system, and in the weeks to come, phones will be able to join in. If you'll recall, the so-called universal apps are designed to wrangle touch gestures and properly equip mobile devices, insuring a consistent experience across your Windows-driven gadget arsenal. If you're itchin' to give 'em a go, you can request access right here.

If you've wanted to try the preview of Office for Android tablets during its brief history, you've had to request to join a Google+ group. That's not the hardest thing to do, but do you really want to participate in a special club (and in some cases, sign up for Google+) just to try some productivity apps a little early? As of now, you don't have to. Microsoft has posted the previews of Excel, PowerPoint and Word on Google Play, so you can download them like you would any other app. The only major requirements are that your slate runs at least Android 4.4 KitKat and that you're comfortable with less-than-polished software. You may not want to finish an important report with these releases, then, but it's now easy to experiment with the new Office suite before it's completely ready.

In November, Dropbox users gained the ability to edit Office files from within inside the app, thanks to a partnership with Microsoft. Now, the company has launched its first set of Project Harmony tools so that groups of workmates can take advantage of that feature -- but only if they're Business users part of Dropbox's early access program. These features, which were first previewed when the company started letting users link their business and personal accounts, can make team projects, well, more bearable than usual.

Spreadsheets are invaluable tools for sharing, explaining, and quantifying information, but they're a pain to present to other people. If you want to share data from an Excel document during a presentation, you usually have to cut and paste charts from Excel into Powerpoint, which limits exactly which data points you can show. Chartcube, a startup from former execs from Evernote and eBay, has a better way.

Chartcube takes the data from your Excel worksheets, and creates an easily navigable "cube" on your iPad that shows different combinations of charts from the data with simple swipes of your finger. The end result is powerful and fun to use, making telling the story of your data a breeze.

Swiping left or right allows you to flip through your various metrics. Swiping up or down flips through those metrics' grouping. The app also allows you to switch between how your data is summarized, including Sum, Count, and Average. Cubes can be shared with other users, who can add comments, questions, and notes.

Information can be quickly imported via the Mail app or integration with Dropbox, and the app comes with AirPlay support for giving public presentations or simply viewing your data on a larger screen. Currently Chartcube is only available for iPad, but iPhone and Android versions are on their way within the next 12 months.

Chartcube plans on using the same freemium model that has proven successful for businesses like Evernote, with enterprise options in the pipeline for the future. As for now, the company says they're simply focused on seeing how people respond to the app. Having used Chartcube for a few weeks now, the app's strengths are clear after a few minutes of use.

Sorting data for presentations is easy, allowing you to answer any questions someone might have about your data with a clear visual representation without having to create a specific chart just for them. The cube already has that chart, you just have to learn how to find it. The learning curve isn't steep, but we recommend using the included Excel document as a tutorial a few times before you try Chartcube in a business meeting. If you regularly use spreadsheets during meetings, Chartcube may just become your next Evernote, an app you didn't know you needed until it was there.

You can see a video of Chartcube in action below. It is currently available for free in the iTunes Store.

I remember when Microsoft first came out with Office for iPhone. It was actually kind of exciting. Here was this thing that for years had only existed in the form of rumors and leaked documents. And there it was, at last: the killer iPhone app, ready to download. Or so I thought. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I came away feeling underwhelmed. That first version of Office Mobile was a watered-down gimp of a program, with pitifully few editing tools and an occasionally confusing layout (imagine having no way of knowing what size font you were using). Compared to some apps, like Google Drive, it wasn't that bad, but it still wasn't as feature-rich as Apple's own iWork suite. Worst of all, the software has received few feature updates in the 17 months since it debuted. Is this what we waited so long for?

At last, however, Microsoft seems to have come to its senses. The company is getting rid of Office Mobile and replacing it with three standalone iPhone apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, just like on the iPad. In fact, because these apps share code with the iPad version, they arrive with the same robust feature set, along with a couple tricks designed specifically for the iPhone. In short, then, the new apps are everything the original Office for iPhone should have been.

Up first is the addition of Presenter view for PowerPoint. Now when giving a presentation in PowerPoint on another screen your iPad will show your notes, what slide is coming up next, and other presentation details. In addition users can now embed videos and sound recordings directly from PowerPoint for iPad, or insert video from their Camera Roll. Microsoft has also added a new eraser and pen function to allow for on the go annotations while making presentations.

Excel has been enhanced with PivotTables, easier grid navigation, and keyboard short cuts. Thanks to the new update users can now sort, filter, expand or collapse, refresh, and show details of PivotTable data contacted within a workbook. These new PivotTable features also include customization options for visual style and layout. Grid navigation has been simplified with a new flick feature that allows you to grab a selection handle and then flick up or downwards. Your flick will select everything from your selection until the next blank cell, making it easier to manipulate large chunks of data between books quickly. Finally Excel is getting keyboard support complete with Excel's existing keyboard shortcuts. They've even added a new one, CTRL+2, to allow users to quickly switch between modes.

There are also additions that have been made across the suite. Export to PDF has now been added to the sharing menu of all Office apps, and is available for everyone to use; even if you don't have a 365 subscription. Image editing within Office apps has also been improved. Now when you tap on an image you are presented with Crop and Reset options, allowing you to quickly scale images or undo your scaling with ease. Finally Office now supports third party fonts, including AnyFont. Simply install the font of your dreams to your iPad and get to writing.

Microsoft vowed that Office for iPad users wouldn't always have to track down a PC just to print their files, and it's making good on that promise with a slew of app updates. The tablet-sized versions of Excel, PowerPoint and Word now let you make hard copies of documents so long as you have an AirPrint-friendly printer on hand. The move tackles one of the biggest gripes we had with Office when it launched last month; it's at last possible to skip the computer entirely when producing that class report or family budget.

Microsoft isn't done with Office updates just because it released Office for iPad and made Office Mobile completely free -- it has a bunch of improvements in store for Office Online, too. To start with, Office has reached the Chrome Web Store. You can now launch most of the productivity suite's web apps (Excel is due soon) in the Chrome browser or Chrome OS just by clicking a shortcut. Clearly, the crew from Redmond is no longer averse to supporting your Chromebook.

You didn't think Microsoft was going to launch Office for iPad without a Windows counterpart waiting in the wings, did you? Sure enough, Microsoft has just shown off its long-expected touch-native Office for Windows in beta form. The software shares a few interface elements in common with the iPad release, but not much -- this is clearly built for Windows tablets, with a more traditional layout that expands objects to make them finger-friendly. There will be plenty of gesture support, though. You can circle an item with your finger to highlight it, and you can pinch and swipe to get around much of the productivity suite. Unfortunately, the folks in Redmond aren't saying when this touch-ready Office will ship. The demo is just a preview of what to expect, so it could be a while before you're using the software yourself.